Headphone Actor
by AwesomeMango
Summary: Chiara (Fem!Romano) is trying to enjoy her summer through reading, eating, and basking in front of the fan. But then what happens when one little announcement ruins her whole day and maybe her whole life? (Warning: Completely based on the song! Does not follow the manga, novel, or anime.)


Chiara laid in her bed, munching on some high-calorie potato chips. It was already summer and she was wasting no time in spending it. With her favorite book in hand, the radio on, and the fan on its highest speed, she was enjoying herself quite a lot. After all, no more school meant no more stress. She doesn't have to worry about homework, tests, or projects. She was free to do whatever she wants.

However, the only problem was the heat. Even though her fan was working its ass off to keep her cool, she was still hot. That's the one flaw in summer – the extreme heat. Still, she won't let the heat ruin her day or her summer, to be exact. She was going to enjoy it whether the weather liked it or not!

Suddenly, the relaxing piano music on the radio was replaced by the voice of a gruff man. She had heard that voice somewhere on the news. It was the president of the United States. "It's very unfortunate I have to say this, but the world is going to end today." He said, practically in tears as the words slipped out of his mouth.

. . .

Out the window, a huge flock of birds were casted up in the sky, swallowing up the crescent moon, heading in some unknown direction. Chiara was trembling. Her whole body was trembling without her consent. What is this? Was she. . . scared?

Slowly, she placed her book down on the bed. Then, reaching out to her radio, she turned the volume down to a whisper. Calm. She needed to calm down. Panicking would do her no good in this situation.

She reached out for her headphones and placed them on to stop herself from shaking. They were connected to her light green ipod, a present she got from her little sister. She then went through her playlist and randomly clicked a song.

Taking a deep breath, she laid back down on her bed and listened to the symphony of notes and vocals. But just when the song was halfway through, a voice asked, "You want to survive, yes?"

Chiara jolted up. The voice seemed to overpower the song and was coming right from her headphones. _What the hell? _She thought, glancing around her room. There was no one in the room except for her.

Still, it was no mistake. She had heard the voice in her thoughts and come out through her very mouth: it was _hers. _Though, she had never said anything. Did she just imagine it?

"If you cross that hill, then in 20 seconds, you'll know what I mean, for better or worse. Don't doubt, just listen close – go 20 seconds ahead. . ."

It was no doubt that it was _not _her imagination. It was real. And for some strange reason, she trusted it. So, stuffing her ipod in her skirt pocket, she got up and rushed outside.

. . .

The intersection was crowded, of course; man, woman, child, it didn't matter. The sun glared down on all of them and the cicadas made themselves known by buzzing loudly through the people's yelling and babies' cries.

A sobbing girl holding the body of a bleeding boy, a priest praying, and the rioting crowd, Chiara passed them all – the only person heading the other way, toward what was beyond that hill.

As the skyscrapers crumbled and fell, as the ground shook and cracked, as the buildings fissured and collapsed, the voice from the headphones persisted: "Twelve minutes left!"

If everything was going to up and vanish, then she had no other way. . .

The chorus of her shrieks and screams turned to tearful eyes in ten seconds. Of course, she had her doubts, but no matter who did what, there was no ending in humanity's song.

. . .

"Run, run, there's one minute left!"

But by now, Chiara couldn't even hear it; the hill which she sought to cross was right before her. . .

She forced her strained legs to keep going, to keep running, no matter how much it pained her. She had run all the way from her house to this little old hill with the reason unknown. But now, she was going to find out.

Her breath faint, she had finally arrived. Before her was a wall which projected the sky. Behind it, scientists in white applauded; "Magnificent," they said.

From there, she saw the little town that she lived in was some kind of experimental facility; "No longer necessary," a scientist said and calmly tossed a bomb.

She was then told that she had been living her whole life in a little world trapped in a box. The only thing she could do right now was stare, dumbfounded, at the burnt wreckage that had been the town. She didn't know how to react to what was happening.

And from the headphones at her ear, she heard a faint whisper:

"Sorry. . ."

_A/N:_

_ I just. . . felt like writing something based on this song. Yes, I know it isn't anything like the novel, anime, or manga, but remember that I was completely and literally basing it off on the song. The girl sobbing is Rosa (Fem!England) and Francis as Hiyori and Hibiya, huehue. _

_ I sort of take it as Chiara in the daze and she has to escape, the exit being the hill. But the scientists are also waiting there for her return or something. I'll let you guys imagine the rest~_


End file.
